The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-07-31
DUPEs.

An idea that should be abandoned BY
| all who entertain it, is that the Mormon
rank and file are miserable dupes, o.
indeed, dupes in any sense. They may
be mistaken, but, if so, the mistake
arises from an exercised, but faulty
Judgment, and not from the failure te
use the Judgment. If they have erred
they are responsible before high heaven
because they have erred willfully, with
their ewes wide open. They are entitled
to no forgiveness, for they know what
they do.
We are aware that this conflicts with
a favorite dogma of Liberals. We are
aware, if it be demonstrated that the
Mormons are willfully and deliberately
Mormons, that the falsity OF the charge
of priestcraft will be established; that,
if it be shown that the Mormon people
vote together and unite on public ques-
tons, because they have thought the
matter over and think best to do so,
the common SANDER that Mormons are
but marionettes that dance when the
Presidency pull the strings, will be eff
fectually exploded. The battle of
Gettysburg discovered tens of thous-
ands of men hurrying to and fro, in the
midst Of danger, at the bidding Of their
commanders. Had they no other rea-
son. for seeking death than that they
were commanded to do SOP The last
Presidential election resulted in the
casting of millions of votes for two men.
Were these men the unsuggested choice
of those millions of voters? Men fought
at Gettysburg for principle; to obey was
but the means to the end. Voters
united on the party candidates, because
of the principles involved and the alb
solute futility of any other course.
Therefore, when local bigots and heart
less conspirators, tell you that Nor
mons are united only because they are
counselled to unite, seek for the cause
behind the effect.
There are certain facts in the history
Of every Latter-day Saint that demon
'trate individuality of rare order.
Consider the case of the convert, and
observe how essential to every step in his
towards Mormonism, and in his |
Quincy towards Utah, is the exercise
If discretion and independence. Years
'efore conversion, he has heard of the
dormons; he has heard of their
idlculous pretensions to revelation, of |
heir unchastity. He has concluded
hat they are of the vile, the most vile.
he Mormon elder arrives on the
Gene; the future convert goes to seoff
ut remains to listen. He WaVers and
is friends, dreading conversion, labor
18th him, .deluge him with anti-Mor-
ION arguments, and endeavor to dis
ourage the elder by tarring and
'athering. Despite the hardships of
eing abandoned by friends and rela-
yes and of sacrificing worldly pros
ects; despite the difficulty of rejecting
he religions of childhood and parents,
he convert, by the exercise of an in =
lVlduality more strong, and a judg-
lent more independent than the
Verage-decides to cast his fate with
lie "scourings" of the earth. Indig-
alton, surprise, entreaty, abuse follow
is every footstep. Not even in Utah ,
oes he escape the necessity of deciding
lew, each moment, the course he
Ill pursue. Apostates, mission
the opposition press, the
of missionaries, accounts
which appear in our papers and are
lated from the pulpit, the well known
i'd of--repeated history of the church
tn its troubles in three States, the
ct OF anti-Mormon legislation and its n
forcement, despite all, the foreign
nvert and the native youth stand
N by the principles of Mormonism.
ley have the whole world opposed to
EN-, deeply and bitterly; they know p
al they profess religion revived as
moral and foolish, and prescribed as
iminal, and yet they are Mormons.
To believe that such a people are
pes, are not actua.ed by reason and !.
dgment, requires a fool. To affect to
lieve it requires the duplicity and
oral obliquity of the Liberal. That q
ormons have reason to be united is
tie as susceptible of proof as that they
ercise the judgment in being united.
nur urp,r0 5oaS,,,+ --S,. a..